New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday announced a budget aimed at high growth, saying the pace of cutting the fiscal deficit would slow as he seeks to boost investment and ensure that ordinary people benefit.

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday began presenting India's national budget for the next fiscal, saying the state of the country's economy was better placed today with its credibility re-established by a series of measures taken by his government.

Paris: France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Thursday said that he "condemned with the greatest strength" a decision by three French lawmakers to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom he described as "a butcher".

New Delhi: Falling just short of big bang reforms called for by his own economic survey, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday presented a Rs 17.78 lakh crore (nearly $300 billion) national budget for the next fiscal that seeks to put more money in the hands of the average citizen, tackle the menace of black money more effectively and end an era of "scam, scandal and corruption".

Mumbai: The real estate industry, which had pinned high hopes on the Union Budget for revival of the liquidity-starved sector, welcomed some of the proposals of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, but said there was no clarity on development of 100 smart cities. It said the document also lacks serious incentives to boost the key sector.